So many dogs will be abandoned in a year's time

[OverTheRubicon]

With lockdown winter coming, the number of people around us getting dogs seems to have increased yet again, and prices of puppies are through the roof. Most of the people we know with new puppies have no dog owning experience, young children and two jobs that would normally work outside the home.

Dogs can be wonderful! But I'm really concerned that when many of these people need to work away from home at least a few days a week, or when they lose jobs and money, or when they realise a dog was irresponsibly bred and has health or behavioural issues, many of these dogs will be turned over to rescue, or neglected at home. Or am I missing a trick? No-one else I know seems worried.

Probably, yes. I don’t think this should be occupying your thoughts, though.

TBH I doubt it. The price people are paying they won't be abandoning them. They'll go down the route of dog walkers but I also believe the days of people spending 5 days a week in an office are gone.

Many are also put off the idea of a dog because of the puppy stage, getting that out the way while your WFH makes perfect sense.

There will always be an element of this but I agree with PP that the days of Monday - Friday 9-5 in the office are over for the vast majority. If I work in the office 2 days next year, we could afford a dog Walker/sitter for those days and then enjoy a dog as a family the rest of the time. (Theoretical as I'm a cat person)

I think most people are finding things they enjoy at home and pets are a huge part of that. I do hate the trend of bulldogs/pugs though

Hopefully genuine wanna be ddog owners who haven't risen to the bait of £££££ priced puppies will be waiting in the wings to grab them before too much damage is done...

People pay a lot for them so I doubt they will just abandon them. The dogs are probably microchipped too so I doubt anyone will be kicking dogs out anymore as they can be traced back.

All the people I know who got dogs in lockdown have wanted a dog for a long time but responsibly didn't get one as it didn't fit with their old lifestyle. Mostly people who have had dogs in the past, or have done plenty of research and learning.
This pandemic will permanently change things. They won't go back to full time office work. They can afford a dog walker a couple of times a week if they need it. Noone I know who has got a dog is in a precarious job situation.

The old 9-5 has gone for a lot of office workers. Several friends have had offices closed and been told explicitly that they will not be working in offices again. It’s a win-win, there has been no productivity drop (several managers have admitted it’s increased!), employees have no commute, employers have no rent, business rates to pay, etc etc.

Several of these friends are now looking at getting canine co-workers. Do I think these dogs will be abandoned in a year? Definitely not!

I don't think it will happen tbh. I know loads of lock down puppies and so far every one of them is loved and cared for and their owners are joyful that they were finally able to get a dog. People said it would happen round about now as the puppies hit adolescence. It hasn't. I don't think it's going to.

I do hope that the prices come down though!

I don’t see any evidence of this at all, when you look at rescue centres.

There are quite a few new dog owners round here. All besotted and full of joy. Chances are they’re going to be pretty well behaved as their new owners have loads of time to train them. Those dogs are going nowhere.

I don't necessarily think they'll be hoards abandoned to rescue but dogs are now seen as cash cows more than they ever were. There will be people who have never been interested in breeding their dog that will have decided breeding dogs sounds like a wonderfully profitable business after spending ££££££ on their puppy this year.

I've shown dogs for 40 years and deliberately decided not to have puppies this year because it's clear people have been buying puppies to either breed from or sell on and make a profit. Many of my showing peers feel the same and are horrified by what's happening in the 'pet market' with extortionate puppy prices. The other awful side effect of this is the massive increase in dog theft.

Why are you worried? It's not your problem.

I don’t think so. But then I’m always baffled on the dogs board when people say rescues will be full of poodle mixes soon as people can’t be bothered to train them etc. Barely any poodle mixes on rescue websites but plenty of staffies and JRT crosses

We have rehomed a lockdown puppy.

She is a joy- amazingly well trained as her owners were at home with her 24/7.

@ShirleyPhallus

I don’t think so. But then I’m always baffled on the dogs board when people say rescues will be full of poodle mixes soon as people can’t be bothered to train them etc. Barely any poodle mixes on rescue websites but plenty of staffies and JRT crosses

Poodle mixes are generally very bright and train very easily.

Sitting here with 2 rehomed poodle mixes- both came very well trained.

I agree shirley but I do think the hundreds of rescue dogs needing homes is a bit of a myth, too.

I agree with the OP, and as a dog lover, can't help being worried.

So many more litters are being bred, to meet the demand, and make money, many of them without proper genetic and health checks.
Bitches and puppies need money to be spent on them to be healthy, really good food, vet checks, etc.
Then when they go to their new homes, often too early to leave their mother, health and behavioural issues may develop which are too much for inexperienced owners to cope with.

And what the OP said about difficulties cropping up if they have to go to work and leave a dog that has been used to having people about, is a huge issue.
And to care for a dog properly you need money for inoculations, vet checks, insurance, food, etc, which could be problematic in these difficult times.

I too fear that an increase in abandoned or neglected dogs will become a problem in the future.
As has been said before, please get your dogs from a registered breeder and insist on seeing the mother.
Also, consider adult rescue dogs from reputable sources, as they will ensure dogs are neutered or spayed, ensure they are healthy, check you and your home out, and give good advice on types and handling of dogs.

I have never had a dog in the house, and prefer cats. I think the OP does raise a valid concern. Also worth noting that the birth rate is likely to increase, and those with small babies may decide to abandon a dog (take it to the RSPCA or other dog charities), and then the normal 'a dog is for life not just for Christmas' may become 'a dog is for life not just for Covid restrictions'.

Has anybody actually looked at the rescue centres?

Battersea have 39 dogs. Out of them, 34 have been reserved or rehomed. Out of the remaining five dogs only one can live with teenagers or older children: none can live with younger children, cats or other dogs.

I’m delighted about this but it does rather suggest that the myth that we blithely go about abandoning animals at will is a myth.

@rainbowducks

Has anybody actually looked at the rescue centres?

Battersea have 39 dogs. Out of them, 34 have been reserved or rehomed. Out of the remaining five dogs only one can live with teenagers or older children: none can live with younger children, cats or other dogs.

I’m delighted about this but it does rather suggest that the myth that we blithely go about abandoning animals at will is a myth.

That may be true right now, but in a usual year Battersea supports 3,500 or so dogs. And that's just one of hundreds of shelters around the country, not to mention the huge number of people who go for (irresponsible and risky) private rehomings via local FB groups and gumtree.

I do take on people's point that people who've spent this much on puppies do hopefully have a strong commitment to them, and very much hope this is the case.

i am really pleased for all the people who had always wanted a dog but didn't get one as their lifestyle didn't allow it but now does, good for them and i'm sure they're totally thrilled to have achieved something that would have been out of their reach otherwise

by the time people return to offices / if people return to offices the dogs will be older, well integrated with their families and have had the benefit of a puppyhood spent with people around all day. quite unlike the old way which was to get a puppy at the start of the summer holiday and hope that you can establish training / bonding etc over 6 weeks before heading back to work leaving a young dog alone during the day. or for dog ownership to be the preserve of the privileged few who don't work full time.

when i think of the hoops we jumped through and expense we incurred, DH moving to shifts at work / dog walkers / me rushing home immediately the clock struck 5 etc in order to have the dog we longed for i'm so happy that people like us can have a dog now

In a year or so we will be ready to take on a rescue dog. I’d love to have one now, if I’m honest, but we’re waiting until some of the lockdown/Covid madness is hopefully over.

I’ve been looking at Dogs Trust. Heartbreaking, but nationally 254 dogs. So many which need a really niche home, unfortunately.

The most popular breeds are greyhound (30) Lurcher (28) Staff (23) and staff cross (14) jack russells (19) American bulldog and bulldogs combined come to 23 and border collies at 14, then alsatians and German shepherds combined are 16.

The breeds people seem to get upset about people buying as puppies - the poodle crosses - don’t feature on there at all. They could be rehomed privately I suppose.

@rainbowducks

I’ve been looking at Dogs Trust. Heartbreaking, but nationally 254 dogs. So many which need a really niche home, unfortunately.

The most popular breeds are greyhound (30) Lurcher (28) Staff (23) and staff cross (14) jack russells (19) American bulldog and bulldogs combined come to 23 and border collies at 14, then alsatians and German shepherds combined are 16.

The breeds people seem to get upset about people buying as puppies - the poodle crosses - don’t feature on there at all. They could be rehomed privately I suppose.

Centres often broker for more desirable dogs but they don't go into the centre (unless it is a crisis)

So a friend had a lab to rehome (moving abroad very unexpectedly to somewhere that wouldn't be very nice for a dog). She contacted a rescue. They arranged a suitable home and the dog went straight from her to the new family. The rescue still got the fee.